IRGC Lowers UAE Flag in Persian Gulf Island of Abu Musa

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has replaced the UAE flag
raised on the southern part of the Persian Gulf island of Abu Musa with and
Iranian one.

The map shows the location of Abu Musa in the Persian Gulf.

Iranian military officials announced that the Emirati population of the island
raised the UAE flag as a sign of Abu Dhabi's ownership of the island in
violation of Iran's sovereignty, a report on theDonya
al-Watanwebsite said.

The IRGC naval forces lowered the UAE flag on Sunday, replacing it with an
Iranian one.

The report added that Emirati and US naval forces repeatedly violate Iranian
territorial waters in the southern part of the island in the absence of proper
deterrent action.

The IRGC controls the oil platform in the south of the island and prevents UAE
naval forces from approaching Abu Musa waters, which are regarded as Iranian
territorial waters, the report said.

Iran rejects the UAE claims on the three Persian Gulf islands of the Greater
Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa, saying they are an "inseparable" part of the
country's territory.

The three islands in question have historically been part of Iran, proof of
which can be found and corroborated by countless historical, legal and
geographical documents in Iran and other parts of the world.

The islands temporarily fell under British control in the 1800s but were
returned to Iran on November 30, 1971 through a legal procedure that preceded
the establishment of the United Arab Emirates as a state.

Iran has repeatedly announced readiness to hold direct talks with UAE officials
regarding the misunderstandings over the implementation of the 1971 Memorandum
of Understanding.